Good and Not So Good From Day 1 of Jaguars Training Camp: Chris Rodriguez's Steps

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Day 1 of Jacksonville Jaguars training camp is officially in the books, and there is certainly plenty to digest from the practice field.

It was a so-so day for the Jaguars' offense during Wednesday's practice at the Miller Electric Center, but what were the true ups and downs of the opening day of camp? We break down the good and the not-so-good below.

The Good

Travis Hunter's Return

I will be honest: I was not expecting to see what we saw from Travis Hunter on Wednesday. I thought there was a chance the Jaguars would bring Hunter along slowly and ramp him up as the early days of training camp continued to progress, but that could not have been more different than what ultimately happened. And frankly, that is a good thing for Hunter and the Jaguars.

Hunter looked as athletic and explosive as ever, and he frankly looks significantly stronger than he did in his rookie campaign. The Jaguars also saw him get reps with the top offense and defense right off the bat, quickly putting to bed any false idea that the Jaguars were set to change their plans for him. Chances are, we are going to be guessing on what exactly the regular-season split will look like for Hunter, but we are already seeing the Jaguars able to implement him fully back into things. That is the best news the Jaguars could have gotten from the first day of camp.

Second-Year Jaguars

ransa — Jul 23, 2025; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Caleb Ransaw (27) participates in training camp at Miller Electric Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Several second-year Jaguars stood out to me on Wednesday, which is exactly what you want to see from the 2025 draft class. Even outside of what Hunter showed on the practice field on Wednesday, the Jaguars got some impressive reps from the other second-year Jaguars such as Caleb Ransaw, Bhayshul Tuten, and Wyatt Milum.

Milum got plenty of key reps at right guard and his size and explosiveness stand out in a big way, even in this practice setting. Tuten was, for my money, the most impressive offensive player on the field on Wednesday as well as the most consistent. Ransaw also got a pass breakup downfield that made the entire defensive sideline erupt, and it is clear he is gaining more and more confidence after returning from injury in the offseason program.

One Key Injury Note

jou8rdan lewi — Jaguars cornerback Jourdan Lewis (2) takes a breather during the Jaguars’ fourth OTA of the year, Monday June 1, 2026 at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars got stellar injury progress with Travis Hunter back at 100% on Wednesday, but he wasn't the only player they got back on the field from injury. Veteran Jaguars cornerback Jourdan Lewis was back on the field and in team drills on Wednesday after sitting out most of the offseason program due to a Week 16 foot injury last season, and his return should be a significant boost.

Lewis has been a leader of the Jaguars' secondary since he signed with the franchise last March, and he looked like he was on his way to a potential Pro Bowl season before injuries forced him to miss time over the second-half of the season. Getting Lewis and Hunter back at the exact same time makes the Jaguars' cornerback room all the more potent.

The Not So Good

The Missing Faces in Team Drills

Nov 30, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (36) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Denver Broncos in the second quarter at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars had four big names facing injury questions entering the first week of training camp: cornerbacks Travis Hunter and Jourdan Lewis, left tackle Cole Van Lanen, and free agent running back Chris Rodriguez. It was not all bad news for the Jaguars on this front, but there were two fairly important pieces who were not on the field in full capacity between Van Lanen and Rodriguez, with the former on the Active/PUP list and the latter seemingly still working back from his offseason injury.

We knew Van Lanen would not be on the field for the Jaguars on Wednesday after they gave him the Active/PUP designation over the weekend, so that is certainly not a surprise. It is still worth noting, however, considering the timeline of his Week 18 injury. Every practice counts for Van Lanen as he works back from his injury to prepare for a return, whether that be in Week 1 or later, and it is clear we are still early in that process.

As for Rodriguez, he did participate in practice but did not take part in team drills. It is a good sign that he at least went through some drills with the running back room, but the battle between him and Bhayshul Tuten for the top running back job was already going to be a tight one. Any edge Tuten can get on him means something, and right now Tuten has the edge in terms of availability. With that said, Coen was not afraid to note after practice that we will not truly see the value of Rodriguez until pads are on.

The Passing Game Results

trevor lawrenc — Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) looks to pass during the first day of minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars had their fair share of drop issues during their 4-3 start last season, but the issue seemed to figure itself out once Jakobi Meyers got introduced to the passing game. The Jaguars' sure-handedness then carried over into the offseason program as the Jaguars' passing game clicked at an incredibly high level. With that said, it was a sloppy first day for the Jaguars' passing attack due to drops and a few errant passes.

“Yeah, It felt good to be back. I mean, I thought it was a little sloppy in terms of drops and some inaccuracy, just not throwing and probably catching a ton with each other. I mean, they got together. I know Trevor had a bunch of the guys together throwing out here, or at a high school or something locally where they were getting some work in, but a couple of little things, but I was pleased to see some plays being made on both sides," Coen said after practice.

"Like, I wouldn't really love to walk out here today and it be one-sided. I'd prefer it, obviously, for the offense to have a lot of success, and I don't like to see the ball on the ground as much as it probably was today. But I was pleased with some of the back and forth, and some of the hits in the run game as well."

Some of the Jaguars' drops came from players you would not imagine will drop many passes, such as Jakobi Meyers and LeQuint Allen. This was likely just a one-day blip that will pop up from time to time throughout training camp, but the Jaguars' passing game has had better practices than the one on Wednesday.

Jack Kiser's Injury

There was only one new injury for the Jaguars on Wednesday, and it was linebacker Jack Kiser during team drills early in practice. It is far too early, of course, to know what the injury could end up being, with Jaguars head coach Liam Coen providing some information following practice.

"No update yet. I think he's getting looked, getting picture tonight, getting a MRI tonight. We'll have a better idea. He didn't, he wasn't, like, screaming or freaking out in pain. And so, very hopeful that it'll be shorter than longer, but, really don't know, exactly what it is at this time," Coen said.

It was a tough break for the first day of camp for Kiser due to the fact that it felt like he had a real chance to go and compete for snaps at linebacker. The Jaguars have several questions with a mostly-unproven linebacker room, and we will now have to wait-and-see when it comes to Kiser and how he factors in.

The Backup Offensive Line

liam coe — Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen talks after the Jaguars final Organized Team Activity on Monday, June 15, 2026 at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars were already missing Cole Van Lanen at left tackle on Wednesday, and we saw Milum get a good chunk of key reps at right guard in team drills as Mekari mostly stood pat. Add in a third lineman who did not get team reps in Garrett DiGiorgio, who is on the Active/PUP list, and the Jaguars seemed stretched thin beyond the starting offensive line.

That is not to say the Jaguars would have had a stellar backup offensive line even if everyone was healthy and accounted for, but we saw players like Jerome Carvin and Ricky Lee thrown into the fire against the Jaguars' top defensive line. Add in a rookie left guard in Emmanuel Pregnon who got baptism by fire from Arik Armstead, and the Jaguars' depth lines were fairly overmatched all practice long.

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